Thread: Add more to lime green costume??

I bought the lighter green costume on Bhuz and added lots of pink, silver and green to make it look like my friend's . Any ideas on what more to add---i think it needs more "Stuff". I added the underskirt. M:CC:6:10.JPG

Taji:CC:6:10XX.JPG

T:M:CC:6:10.JPG

I don't think that it needs more "stuff". The beading and decorations look fine.

But if I were you I would chop the original skirt below the hip decorations and attach the underskirt directly to that, or edge finish the outer piece and just wear it over the underskirt. Right now it looks too obviously like the costume was 6 inches too short for you so you've stuck a longer skirt under it.

not sure what you mean about the 2nd option.

the under skirt is too thin and see-through to cover the legs.

Originally Posted by ssipes

But if I were you I would chop the original skirt below the hip decorations and attach the underskirt directly to that, or edge finish the outer piece and just wear it over the underskirt. Right now it looks too obviously like the costume was 6 inches too short for you so you've stuck a longer skirt under it.

I'm inclined to agree with this. The green chiffon matches nicely, but it looks like it was reverse engineered. I've seen costumes where the bottom and slit are edged with a ruffle to give a Latin flavor, and that might work, but Sedonia's suggestion to convert the skirt to the "mini with a dust ruffle" style will probably give you the best chance of passing it off as being originally designed that way. What if you subbed out the skirt bottom and the arm bands for some metallic spandex instead of the chiffon? Spandex House has some silvers and neon and apple greens that might work, and if the fabric had its own texture, you might not need to do a lot of embellishing.

"edge finish the outer piece and just wear it over the underskirt."

does this mean to take the beads off the edge of the overskirt so it blends more to the one underneath?

Originally Posted by taji-dancer

"edge finish the outer piece and just wear it over the underskirt."

does this mean to take the beads off the edge of the overskirt so it blends more to the one underneath?

No, this option still involves chopping the skirt below the hip beadwork, but instead of attaching the chiffon underskirt (which might be a hassle) just wear the chopped mini like a wide belt.

To me the way too short skirt just doesn't work. Its a beautiful costume and looks great on you otherwise, but I can't get past the length issue. I don't think I'm the only one who will see it that way.

If the underskirt is not full enough to provide opacity, then I think backing it with another circle skirt would be the best option.

The end result would look something like this (apologies for using my own picture but I can't find another example handy)

i agree w/ what you say---but it won't match w/ my friend's costume as well---we wore these as a duet.

Maybe add a simple pattern of single-row sequin swirl/bursts on the edge of the spandex and on the edge of the chiffon to tie them together.

I agree that the pressing issue is not needing more stuff, but needing a better solution to lengthening the skirt. If you wanted it to look more like your friend's, you could go with the suggestion to add a ruffle to the slit and the hemline to lengthen it. If you went with a kelly green lycra fabric like the color of your friend's costume, it would tie the two costumes together more. You could make a kelly green applique for the center of the bra to tie the top and bottom together. ETA Or, if you added kelly lycra to the skirt, looks like you've room to add a rouched kelly green border along the top borders of your bra cups, which would tie in with the rouching in your friend's skirt.

PS Sedonia, if you just edge finish a chopped mini and wear it like a belt, would it not ride up (esp if you did floorwork)? And if not, would the edge need to stretch, how would you finish it? Inspiring job on your conversion :)

Or...add ruffles to the edge of the spandex to make it longer but still use the chiffon to make a long modesty panel for the slit...and to tie the costumes together, balancing the addition of the new element, the ruffle, with something the other costume has, chiffon modesty panel.

Originally Posted by khalima

PS Sedonia, if you just edge finish a chopped mini and wear it like a belt, would it not ride up (esp if you did floorwork)? And if not, would the edge need to stretch, how would you finish it? Inspiring job on your conversion :)

Actually, I don't know, I've never done it, it was just an idea. Not as good as just attaching a new skirt bottom though.

The costume in the pic came with a different circle skirt bottom and I replaced it with the dyed silk panels. So I have attached circles to the bottom of a tight skirt top, but it wasn't a straight-to-mermaid conversion. I just changed out the mermaid's tail. ,r:;

Thanks, I think perhaps I should try making one from scratch before I "convert" my pharoanics.

Originally Posted by ozma

Maybe add a simple pattern of single-row sequin swirl/bursts on the edge of the spandex and on the edge of the chiffon to tie them together.

I think i like this idea---Ozma to the rescue!! not toooo much re-designing-----and doing a similar treatment on both edges will make the design work better. and it will add more bling cause my partner's outfit is sooo covered w/ stuff.

1 - can you get lycra to match the existing skirt? If you can, add it to the length and then add beading which doesn't scream EXTENSION!!!!

2 - then find a darker green chiffon and make a 1/4 or 1/2 circle modesty panel. This will give the opposite colour combo that your partner has.

Another option of you are thinking about shopping is to make the chop jagged and add basically a trumpet skirt bottom and bead the area around the seam.

Those are my thoughts at the moment.

{{{HUGS}}}

I made two examples if you don't mind. It was inspired by Tahiras idea with the darker green and jagged edge. I imagine this with darker lycra though.

or


of course with the option of adding beading to the darker part.

If the primary concern is to converge on a paired look, then maybe the solution is to sell this costume to a shorter dancer, and find another lime green one that is closer in style to hers, or even the identical style as her costume in a compatible color. No matter how matched you are in color now, I know I would have a really difficult time drawing my attention away from the shortness of your top skirt as it is. I understand your point about wanting to have equivalent embellishment, but that's kind of like putting a band-aid on a broken arm here--true, your costume doesn't have as much design stuff going on as hers, but fit is always the primary consideration, and until you address the length distraction... If you don't want to do major surgery on this costume, then the next logical choice is to move on to something else.

Originally Posted by ssipes

Actually, I don't know, I've never done it, it was just an idea. Not as good as just attaching a new skirt bottom though.

They sold these for a while when the traditional bras and belts first started going out of style. I didn't own one, but I thought maybe they had snaps at the bottom to hold them to the underskirt?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

If the primary concern is to converge on a paired look, then maybe the solution is to sell this costume to a shorter dancer, and find another lime green one that is closer in style to hers, or even the identical style as her costume in a compatible color. No matter how matched you are in color now, I know I would have a really difficult time drawing my attention away from the shortness of your top skirt as it is. I understand your point about wanting to have equivalent embellishment, but that's kind of like putting a band-aid on a broken arm here--true, your costume doesn't have as much design stuff going on as hers, but fit is always the primary consideration, and until you address the length distraction... If you don't want to do major surgery on this costume, then the next logical choice is to move on to something else.

I agree. The skirt being far too short is a fatal problem that just can't be solved without a major makeover. You could purchase a Desert Swirl costume in a lime green shade from bellydancestore.com for around $165. I have heard that her most recent shipments in these are quite nice in terms of construction and embellishment.

I do not think you need an exact duplicate of your duet partner's costume. I think just about any lime green bra/skirt set would look nice.

Selling costumes that don't fit properly is a pain in the ass, but ultimately a necessity.

Being shorter than average, length is probably the first filter a costume has to go through before I will consider buying it. Proper length is critical, and so many costumes today can't be shortened easily. I have sold numerous beautiful costumes that I otherwise loved because I couldn't make them the right length.

I agree that needing more stuff is very much secondary to needing to fit properly.

As it is now it doesn't fool the eye into thinking it was designed that way... it just looks like a much-too-short skirt worn over another whole skirt, and it's puzzling and distracting. It would be very hard for me to concentrate on the dance if I were in the audience.. I'd be mentally pondering through the possible reasons for the odd skirt arrangement instead.

Different bling levels on costumes aren't distracting at all and are very common. That doesn't bother me a bit. Even BDSS sometimes wear VERY different styles of costume in coordinating colors, it's an elegant look.

I like the solution of either selling it and getting one that fits (could have more bling if you still feel that's important to you) or cutting it off and making a mermaid out of it.

This just looks too short. If you are doing a duet, you should sell this one and purchase one that is the correct length. Otherwise, you will be forced to do drastic costume surgery. If you did decide to do the surgery, I LOVE the second picture Gisella posted.

I agree that you should buy a new costume. There are lots of affordable options!
Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery


Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery (this one you could really bling up and they have the same one in many sizes.)


Or you could splurge on a pricey one if you have the money and if you two dance a lot together. I saw Pharaonics and Mumtaz in the bright lime colors. Search for the keyword "green" on the belly dance store and you'll get some cool stuff.

Here's what I would do...
add a curved strip (so it hangs a bit better, like a slight trumpet effect, but not a ruffle- I'm not a ruffle-fan!!) of darker green lycra to the bottom to make it the right length, then bead it. I'd probably add a bit of darker green to the gauntlets and/or bra to tie it together better too.




eta: I didn't scroll down as far as Giselas post before I did this, but it's pretty much the same idea.

There is a lot of play in matching costumes, and sometimes how much flexibility you have depends on your audience. If you are performing for other dancers, they'll pick up on subtleties in costuming that a GP audience may not. For example, dancers can often recognize costuming sources--they'll notice the difference in a troupe of dancers wearing an assortment of Egyptian straight-across-belt bedlahs, and one dancer in a Turkish V, where a GP audience may see all "belly dance costumes," and have no conscious awareness of any significance to the variations. This sort of variety wouldn't necessarily ruin the aesthetic of the performance, but sometimes you want to take those details into account.

Personally, I think it can be distracting to see a wide disparity in style and expensiveness, and at some point, even an untrained eye can tell the difference. You don't have to have much expertise to recognize a first-generation Desert Swirl isn't a Bella, even if you don't know them by name. What bugs me is when you see a studio troupe and the teachers are mixed in with the students, but they're not dressed like they're doing the same choreography, because the students are wearing their student-y costumes and the teachers are dressed to the nines. If you want to go all Gladys Knight and make your students your backup dancing Pips, whatever, but if you want to act like you're just another member of the troupe, dress that way. Out-dressing your students looks like you're playing some weird, passive-aggressive, "Look at me! I'm better than they are!" game. Sorry, drifted off topic...

Anyway, my point is that other dancers can tell from looking at this costume that the skirt was originally too short and the chiffon underskirt is a kludge. There are some good ideas here for how to modify the costume to address this, but if you're hesitant to cut, then there are some good suggestions for replacements, too. It's just a costume, not a spouse or a child. You don't have any moral or legal obligation to keep it if it isn't working out for you.

Hi, I agree with everyone else, the skirt length is the main issue. Like ssipes, being shorter than average, that's the first thing I look for in a costume or if it can be hemmed.

I don't think I'd go the route of chopping and converting the skirt.

If you are intent on keeping the costume, I like Ozma's idea (post #9), of adding additional fabric and sequins/bling to make them look as 1, or gilesa/firefly suggestions (as they are similiar.

or, as others suggested, purcahse another costume that would suit your duet and body needs and resell on the swap.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

There is a lot of play in matching costumes, and sometimes how much flexibility you have depends on your audience. If you are performing for other dancers, they'll pick up on subtleties in costuming that a GP audience may not. For example, dancers can often recognize costuming sources--they'll notice the difference in a troupe of dancers wearing an assortment of Egyptian straight-across-belt bedlahs, and one dancer in a Turkish V, where a GP audience may see all "belly dance costumes," and have no conscious awareness of any significance to the variations. This sort of variety wouldn't necessarily ruin the aesthetic of the performance, but sometimes you want to take those details into account.

Personally, I think it can be distracting to see a wide disparity in style and expensiveness, and at some point, even an untrained eye can tell the difference. You don't have to have much expertise to recognize a first-generation Desert Swirl isn't a Bella, even if you don't know them by name. What bugs me is when you see a studio troupe and the teachers are mixed in with the students, but they're not dressed like they're doing the same choreography, because the students are wearing their student-y costumes and the teachers are dressed to the nines. If you want to go all Gladys Knight and make your students your backup dancing Pips, whatever, but if you want to act like you're just another member of the troupe, dress that way. Out-dressing your students looks like you're playing some weird, passive-aggressive, "Look at me! I'm better than they are!" game. Sorry, drifted off topic...

Anyway, my point is that other dancers can tell from looking at this costume that the skirt was originally too short and the chiffon underskirt is a kludge. There are some good ideas here for how to modify the costume to address this, but if you're hesitant to cut, then there are some good suggestions for replacements, too. It's just a costume, not a spouse or a child. You don't have any moral or legal obligation to keep it if it isn't working out for you.

WHAT? No moral or legal obligation to a costume?

Tell that to my costumes...l;,..l;,..l;,

No don't, they might have a breakdown. They are very sensitive...g.:

Originally Posted by gisela

I made two examples if you don't mind. It was inspired by Tahiras idea with the darker green and jagged edge. I imagine this with darker lycra though.

or


of course with the option of adding beading to the darker part.

I put the costume away and now looked at it again. To do any stage show---it needed help and your ideas were percolating. i found matching lime green lycra---decided i will make a circular ruffle, at the hem and graduated coming up the leg opening cause it needs more material there. I will cut the skirt below the trim so the ruffle will be narrow in the back and then bigger as it comes to the front. I can figure out the circular ruffle for the hem, but does anyone know how to shape the ruffle to come up the opening of the leg? it will be more similar to the second photo, w/out the underskirt. it will be a sarong shape w/ a straight edge, cut underneath the trim in the back which is at the lower edge of the middle back

Do you want a spiral ruffle? I'm not sure what you mean.

http://www.banberryplace.com/images/...nce_instr1.pdf
ModCloth Blog » Blog Archive » Ruffle Your Frocks Without Ruffling Your Feathers

The sketch shows what the skirt would look like opened up flat and the ruffle attached, For the Butterick patterns----the pattern pieces for the ruffles look like circle skirt pieces.

Does New Look 6463 have a variation with the kind of ruffle you want? New Look Patterns - New Look 6463 - New Look Sewing Patterns for Skirts - New Look Pattern Reviews